Two delightful places to stay in Porthleven, a magical unspoilt Cornish Harbour

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Cober Valley Stained Glass Studio is the largest working glass studio in Cornwall. Specialising in stained glass and leaded light for Churches and Chapels, they undertake one-off commissions for door panels, windows and all decorative stained glass work. A delightful shop offering everything from tiny glass dolphins to huge colourful freizes. The Net Loft Gallery has become a focal point for visiting connoisseurs of Cornish art. It specialises in exhibitions of contemporary Cornish art, changing fortnightly from April until late October. The gallery occupies a building in the courtyard of the Old Customs House Studio, originally used as a net loft by local fishermen for repairing their nets. A few miles from Porthleven you can find the Cornwall Crafts Association, Trelowarren, at Mawgan-in-Meneage, Helston. Tel:  +44 (0) 1326 211 567. This is a permanent gallery in a Georgian stable block on the beautiful Trelowarren estate. A small shop area allows member's work to be shown all year round; whilst the exhibition space not only holds displays of the best of Cornwall Craft member's work, but at least twice yearly exhibits work by eminent craftspeople from other parts of the country. On this historic estate you will also find a bistro serving excellent food and drinks throughout the day, a pottery and weaving studio, the countryside centre telling you all about the geological uniqueness of the Lizard Peninsula and quiet extensive walks through the estate woodland and gardens in restoration. Also a fogou - an iron age series of chambers built underground, assumed for storage purposes. Porthleven Pottery is located in a small courtyard beside the harbour. The Pottery specialises in stoneware pots of a practical nature, you can see some examples on their web site. The potters who work here are Graham and Fenella Fern. Tombodama Tiaras make costume jewellery. Exclusive original tiaras, headresses and matching jewellery for special occasions. Handmade in Porthleven from Austrian crystal, freshwater pearls, Venetian beads, semi-precious stones with sterling silver and 9ct rolled gold. Tel:  (01326) 560200. in Fore St, Porthleven. Here are some painters and print makers that have been inspired by Porthleven and the area. L. Fox prints inspired by Porthleven that you can buy on line, one shown on the right. Right: Size : 19.75 x 19.75 David Hosking Left: Porthleven Harbour: The blues of morning cast a serene light over Porthleven harbour. David Hosking was born into a farming family in West Cornwall in 1943. He was first inspired to become a painter by his Art teacher at Helston Grammar School (Mr. Philip Howells). He was an art teacher at St Michael's School in Helston, and in 1995 he left teaching to devote all of his time to painting. During his years as a teacher, he continued to develop his work and exhibited in mixed shows. In 1993 David presented a solo exhibition at Helston Folk Museum which led to a solo exhibition at Falmouth Arts Centre in 1994, and this has since become an annual event. During Easter 1999 there was an exhibition of Hosking paintings at St Ives. Current paintings may be found in galleries at St Ives, Padstow, St Mawes, St Agnes and Porthleven and of course at the artist's studio. David's warmly welcomes visitors to his studio in Porthleven, please contact David on 01326 562010 or by e-mail:  David@Hosking.fsnet.co.uk. Maggie Banks counts Peter Lanyon and Patrick Heron as influences on her work and now spends a lot of time painting on site at Porthleven. Right shows Porthleven abstract, oil on canvas. 45cm x 45cm. More Porthleven inspired paintings on her site. Andrew Lanyon Left: The Sea at St.Ives Andrew Lanyon is a painter, publisher, author, and film-maker. Born in St. Ives in 1947, he was brought up in West Cornwall where photography was his interest from an early age. In 1976 He constructed The Rooks of Trelawne - a major touring exhibition for the Photographers Gallery (London), accompanied by a book. Andrew had been painting for several years and started to have solo exhibitions in London and provinces. He now has paintings in both the British Council and Contemporary Art Society collections. Andrew’s studio is in a polytunnel at his home near Helston in Cornwall. The polytunnel provides excellent diffuse natural light for working in, as well as being a warm and dry place used on social occasions. From this space, Andrew has not only created his own work, but also books on his father; Peter Lanyon’s work, Alfred Wallis and other well known painters, sculptors and poets. Tony Giles Right: "Porthleven IV" 22 x 32 inches, Acrylic on board Tony Giles first visited Cornwall in the early thirties while on school holidays with his father, who was an engine driver on the Great Western Railway. He moved from Taunton to Cornwall in 1961. He spent the rest of his life here and died in Cornwal in 1994.There is passion in his painting, he tilts his horizons, devises crazy patterns and comes up with highly individual, cartoon like, off beat compositions that are occasionally difficult to read but rewarding. Whether looking at the convoluted harbour of the fishing village of Porthleven, the stranding stones of pre-history, derelict tin mines, or a branch line disappearing into the belly of Cornwall's china clay country, he does so with an understanding of, and a sympathy for, his subject matter that is rare. Ralph Todd Born in 1852. Studied in Europe, notably Belgium, Holland and France. Todd painted in oil and water colour. Exhibited at the leading London galleries from 1880 including the R.A and R.I. In 1888 he married a Miss Trehair and they had two children, Charlotte and Arthur. Arthur later became the distinguished Royal Academician Arthur Ralph Middleton Todd. In 1883 he moved to Newlyn but by the early 1890s he had moved to St. Keverne and later to Helston. He also painted under the name of Rupert Meneage (presumably this was while he was living in Helston as it has a street named Meneage). He primarily worked in watercolours and his best known oil is "Primrose Day", 1885. Died 28th June 1932 in Cornwall. Michael Strang is an oil painter who lives on the south coast of Cornwall. Shown right: A Cornish Hedge in Flower. Oil, 60 x 36in.  Nigel Hallard F.R.S.A. Shown left: 30" x 20" oil on canvas scene of Porthleven Harbour.